


False Alarm

by inkforhumanhands



Series: The Magnus Archives Ficlets [2]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, Humor, Martin living at the institute, The Magnus Archives Season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:01:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25971778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkforhumanhands/pseuds/inkforhumanhands
Summary: Jon wakes up to a fire alarm going off after accidentally falling asleep in the archive.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Series: The Magnus Archives Ficlets [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885048
Kudos: 15





	False Alarm

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "cooking" for Writer's Month 2020.

A blaring sound that more than outdid the benign beeps of his usual alarm woke Jon with a start. It took him a long second to get his bearings, as various discomforts that definitely didn’t come from lying in his bed hit him at once like a wall. Drool seeped between his cheek and his desk, slick like potential worm slime. A half-open drawer jutted into one of his ribs. And of course, there was that fire alarm.

When he did draw the conclusion that he’d fallen asleep in the archive, Jon was quick to slide his glasses back on and take visual stock of his surroundings. He couldn’t immediately see any fire. That was good. Probably. You could never exactly tell what was good and what was just the precursor to something terribly, terribly wrong. For now, though, he’d refrain from panicking.

He resolutely wiped the drool from his cheek with a sweater sleeve and picked up the nearby tape recorder, switching it on.

“The institute’s fire alarm has gone off but I can’t see any evidence of actual fire. Still, I don’t think it’s prudent to stay in the archive and get roasted alive if there is one, so I shall make my way outside.”

Jon exited the archive, closing the door behind him, and was about to head towards the building’s front entrance when he remembered that Martin had been using the institute as a safe house for the past few weeks. He supposed it wouldn’t do to let his assistant get incinerated either. He narrated his decision as he walked to the library, where there was a carpet and Martin had his sleeping bag set up.

For whatever reason, Jon walked in on Martin not preparing to make for the exit but pacing nervously instead. “J-Jon! I didn’t realize you were still here. Actually, why are you still here? It’s two a.m.”

“Martin, we don’t have time for that. Do you not hear the fire alarm going off?”

“Oh, actually—”

“Hurry up, or do you want to fry?” Jon said testily. He began walking back to the hallway, not turning to make sure whether Martin was following. Martin scampered after him.

He asked Martin if he’d seen any sign of fire, or anything else for good measure, but before Martin could actually answer he’d made a face and formed a new question. “That’s odd. Does something smell like burnt popcorn to you? Maybe it’s not just the smoke detectors acting up.” He looked Martin directly in the eyes. “When Jane Prentiss was outside your door did it smell like burnt popcorn?”

Martin gulped. “Um, no, but—”

“Oh, that’ll be the fire engine,” Jon said as he pushed against the heavy doors leading to the chill night air.

Sure enough, a noisy red truck pulled up beside them and several fire fighters leapt out of it to greet them. One of them looked Martin up and down in his fluffy bathrobe while another asked Jon, who was still wearing actual clothes, if he knew where the fire source was located. Jon was about to say no when Martin raised an apprehensive finger to draw attention to himself.

“Um, if I may. I, uh, made popcorn in the staff room microwave, you see, and it burnt a bit, and I- I think that’s what’s made the alarm go off.”

Jon looked at Martin in abject disbelief. “You did _not._ ”


End file.
